WARWICK SHOWCASE

THE BEEKEEPER
* * *
(Revenge/Vigilante Thriller)

The next time our phone rings and it’s one of those computer scammers, I’m calling Jason Statham.

Statham plays a retired ex-something with enough skills to wipe out an army. And he does when he discovers that his neighbor, a sweet senior citizen, has been scammed of all her money by one of those boiler-room operations that gains control of your computer and wipes you out.

“The Beekeeper” is one of those Boys Night Out movies, where the guys can collectively cheer as the Beekeeper destroys bad guys faster than a speeding bullet while burning down their buildings

The FBI is after him for his outrageous methods of gaining justice, and a few of them get in his way. So What! He’s after vengeance.

Lots of action. Some funny lines. A few insights into how these scammers work. And a good performance by Statham, who looks quite a bit older than he did in earlier action movies.

MEAN GIRLS
* * (Don) * * * (Teenage Girls)

I sat with a theater full of teenage girls (Joyce didn’t wish to recall her high school days) as long as I could.

This irritating movie musical, taken from an old movie made into a Broadway Musical, was just too much to take.

Angourie Rice plays Cady Heron, a transfer from Kenya, where she was home schooled to North Shore High school, where she faces a culture clash.

She is befriended by two nerds who warn her about the Plastics, led by the controlling, self-centered Regina.

Cady has a crush on Regina’s boyfriend. Regina seeks revenge. Things get pretty mean. To ease the tension, production numbers break out.

The young audience seemed to relate to it, but it wasn’t like the high school I went to.

Can’t tell you how it ended.

NETFLIX

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
* * * *
(Based on a True Story)

Back in 1972, 45 members of a Montevideo rugby team on their way to a match in Santiago crashed in the snowy mountains just short of Chile.

The crash killed the pilot plus several players and coaches. Others were badly wounded.

This two-hour movie is hard to watch at times, but it is a great study in survival, teamwork, courage and faith.

Working together, the brave youngsters take care of each other and make tough decisions that lead to the survival of 16 of them 71 days after the plane crashed.

The survivors rationed what little food they could scavenge from the luggage. When that was gone, they collectively had to make the ultimate decision to survive.

Faced with landslides, freezing weather, boredom, sickness, and listening to a radio announcer reporting the search had been called off, they still fought to survive.

The ending will bring tears to your eyes.

THE HIGHWAYMEN
* * * ½
(The Hunt for Bonnie & Clyde)

Netflix has brought back this interesting film about two retired “highwaymen” who are hired to track down Bonnie and Clyde at the height of their killing spree.

Kevin Costner stars as the real-life Frank Hamer who, along with his sidekick played by Woody Harrelson, spend many sleepless nights and long days in their Ford V-8 tracking down the couple with little help from the depression-worn townsfolk who worship them as heroes.

The period piece is filled with old cars, clothes and buildings of the 1930s.

Costner and Harrelson make a great pair, with the story plodding along until the final bloody scene.

We only get glimpses of Bonnie and Clyde (That’s another film) as they boldly go about their business.